Nghe An: Fishing boat sinks, fishermen hold plastic cans and swim for 2 hours at sea to find rescue

Fishing boat of Nghe An fishermen sank at sea

(Baonghean.vn) - After receiving information that the fishing boat of fishermen in Quynh Luu sank at sea, the authorities approached the scene for rescue and by 9:30 a.m. on January 7, all 7 fishermen on the boat in distress were brought safely to shore by the authorities.

After 7 crew members of fishing boat NA 93426TS were rescued safely to shore by a local fishing boat, many neighbors in Son Hai commune, Quynh Luu district gathered at the house of the boat owner Dau Ngoc Thanh in hamlet 8 to visit and encourage the fishermen.

Talking to us, the owner of the ship in distress, Dau Ngoc Thanh, said that his ship had set sail on December 20th (November 14th of the lunar calendar). After about 12 days of fishing at sea, on January 6th, 2019, when the ship was about 100 nautical miles from the mainland, the propeller shaft sleeve suddenly broke out of position, and water flooded into the ship. Although everyone tried to fix it, more and more water flooded into the ship, so they were helpless as the ship gradually sank. Fortunately, crew member Cao Xuan Chung swam for many hours at sea to call for help.lifeboat or we all would have died at sea.

Fisherman Cao Xuan Chung (born in 1998) still has not recovered from his shock and fear when recounting the moment he swam alone into the middle of the ocean to call for a rescue ship.

Officers and soldiers of Quynh Thuan Border Guard Station check the health of 7 sailors who were in distress at sea due to a shipwreck. Photo: Viet Hung

Mr. Chung said: After water flooded into the ship's hold, the crew tried to pump the water out but failed because the propeller hole was too wide, so the water rushed in. At 1:00 p.m. on January 6, the ship tilted and sank completely. At this time, all 7 crew members did not have time to get their life jackets and could only cling to 2 foam sheets (one sheet held 4 people, the other held 2 people); he alone at that time grabbed a plastic oil can and quickly poured oil out to cling to it. In the panic, between life and death, looking into the distance and seeing a ship about 1 km away from the accident site, Mr. Chung immediately held on to the can and "risked his life" to swim quickly to that ship to call for help. Big waves and strong winds hit him in waves, making Chung exhausted and he had to swim for 2 hours to reach the ship.

Fisherman Cao Xuan Chung (far left) in Son Hai commune (Quynh Luu) recounts the moment he struggled with the waves to swim far away to call for a rescue ship. Photo: Viet Hung

“When I swam to the boat, although I was very tired, I still tried to shout loudly so that the fishermen on board could hear me, but because everyone was taking a lunch break, no one knew. It was only a while later that someone got up to go to the bathroom and discovered me. When they pulled me onto the boat, my body was cold and my mouth was numb, but I still tried to tell them that there were 6 people waiting to be rescued,” Chung recalled.

Upon receiving the distress call, the ship numbered NA 95058TS, captained by Mr. Nguyen Van Lieu from Hamlet 10, Son Hai Commune, quickly approached the ship in distress to rescue the remaining 6 crew members. By 3:30 p.m. the same day, all remaining crew members had been rescued onto the ship and brought back to shore.

Quynh Luu district leaders promptly visited and encouraged the sailors to overcome difficulties to continue fishing at sea. Photo: Viet Hung

“At the time the ship was flooded, we contacted nearby fishing boats via walkie-talkie, but none of them received a signal. The ship gradually sank in despair. When all the crew members were adrift at sea, if Chung had not swum out to sea to call for rescue, the fishermen would not have known how they would have lived or died. When they were rescued, many young crew members burst into tears because they knew they were still alive after 3 hours of struggling with the waves...”, Captain Tran Van Tuan said.

At 9:30 a.m. on January 7, 2019, the injured sailors were brought ashore. Officers and soldiers of Quynh Thuan Border Guard Station urgently welcomed the sailors back to their unit and deployed health checks and first aid for the injured.

All seven crew members were rescued by a local fishing boat and are now in stable condition. Photo: Viet Hung

The 7 sailors who were in an accident at sea were between the ages of 19 and 32 and all lived in Son Hai Commune (Quynh Luu). The sailors are now in good health. The total property damage was about 700 million VND.

After receiving the information, leaders of Quynh Luu district and local authorities promptly visited the fishermen to inquire about their health and encouraged them to quickly overcome difficulties and stabilize the situation to continue going out to sea.

Previously, as reported, at 12:00 on January 6, 2019, fishing boat numbered NA 93426TS, with 7 crew members on board, captained by Mr. Tran Van Tuan, a permanent resident of Son Hai commune, Quynh Luu district, was fishing when the propeller shaft tube was dislodged and water flooded into the boat. Although the crew tried to fix the problem, they were helpless. By 1:00 p.m. the same day, the boat and all of its assets had sunk. The crew struggled with the waves until 3:00 p.m. on January 6, 2019, when they were rescued by fishing boat NA 95058TS, captained by Mr. Nguyen Van Lieu, residing in hamlet 10, Son Hai commune, Quynh Luu district, Nghe An province. All 7 crew members were rescued and brought safely to shore.